The business of alligators

IMMOKALEE — Fort Myers lawyer Bruce Essen uses a spotlight to scan the surface of the Lake Trafford as he and friend Ernie Preshard hunt alligators from a boat on Sept. 2, 2010. Essen said he participates in alligator season because he loves the thrill of the hunt and being out in nature.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

LAKE TRAFFORD — A dead alligator lies in the blood soaked water on Sept. 2, 2010.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

PALMDALE — Jack Costanzo, 6, who just moved to Florida from New Jersey with his family, watches as his father Peter, left, holds a juvenile alligator at Gatorama, an alligator farm and tourist destination on Sept. 11, 2010. Alligators have always been big business in Florida, being University mascots, logos on department of transportation signs, and the main attraction for many tourists.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

MIAMI — Roger Ximenez, a one man company, stitches together a belt made from an alligator hide at his shop. Ximenez, who sells the finished product to high end stores like Brodeur Carvell Fine Apparel in Fort Myers, said he can make 50 alligator belts in a day, with each belt selling for $600 to the consumer.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

PALMDALE — Jack Costanzo, 6, who just moved to Florida from New Jersey with his family, holds onto a toy alligator as he peers into an open pen of juvenile alligators at Gatorama, an alligator farm and tourist destination on Sept. 11, 2010. Alligators have always been big business in Florida, being University mascots, logos on department of transportation signs, and the main attraction for many tourists.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

PALMDALE — Alligators in a pen approach the fence as people peer through the gate at Gatorama on Sept. 8, 2010. People are allowed and encouraged to feed the alligators at the tourist attraction, but the owners say they make it clear to visitors they should not do the same to alligators in the wild. Gatorama has nearly 3,000 gators on their property which they use for breeding, harvestings, and showing.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

IMMOKALEE — Hunters Jeff Sciarrino, right, and Jian Wu, left, prepare their boat as others do the same on the first day of alligator hunting season at Lake Trafford on August 15, 2010. The first day of alligator hunting season has become an event for sportsmen looking to bag their own alligator. Their families come to watch the hunters from shore, hoping to see them return with a prize alligator.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

IMMOKALEE — As Fort Myers lawyer Bruce Essen, left, reels in an alligator to their boat, friend Ernie Preshard, right, prepares to strike using a bang stick, a spring loaded metal pole with a bullet that shoots when banged, as the pair hunt for alligators of the Lake Trafford on Sept. 2, 2010. The pair have been alligator hunting together for the last 10 years. Preshard plans on making his wife a pair of boots from the alligators he catches this year.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

SEBRING — Ossie Smith carries crusts, tanned alligator hides that are bleached, from drying hooks to a pile to be dyed at Sebring Custom Tanning on Sept. 8, 2010. At any one time, the tannery has about 3,000 animal hides.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

IMMOKALEE — Ernie Preshard, left, begins to reel in another alligator as friend Bruce Essen, right, re-loads a bang stick to kill the reptile as the pair hunt for alligators on Lake Trafford on Sept. 2, 2010.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News PALMDALE — A truck passes by a window full of alligator heads inside the giftshop at Gatorama in Palmdale, Fla. on Sept. 8, 2010.

EAST NAPLES — George Hodge, left, and Dave Regel, right, hoist their first trapped alligator of the afternoon into a small covered space in the flatbed of his pickup truck at Port of the Islands Resort & Marina.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

EAST NAPLES — With a hook under its front leg and another in the right side of its neck, an alligator is tied off like a boat as George Hodge, left, and Collier County alligator trapper Dave Regel, center, catch the first of three nuisance alligators at Port of the Islands Resort & Marina. Tying the gator to the dock allowed Regel to tape the reptile’s mouth closed before they loaded the more than nine-foot-long alligator into Regel’s pickup truck.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

PALMDALE — A baby alligator sends out a distress call as Patty Register, the owner’s wife looks inside the hatchery at Gatorama on Sept. 8, 2010.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

PALMDALE — Wayne Raulerson holds a baby alligator as it hatches from an egg at Gatorama on Sept. 8, 2010.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

PALMDALE — In a hut behind in a restricted area, three to five year old alligators swim in shallow water at Gatorama on Sept. 8, 2010. The alligators in the foam covered hut are kept at a temperature of 90 degrees. Gatorama has nearly 3,000 gators on their property which they use for breeding, harvestings, and showing.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

Harley Hodge, left, watches as her father George drags an alligator into a room to be cleaned and skinned.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

Harley Hodge watches as her father, George uses a knife to begin removing an alligator hide and harvesting the meat.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

IMMOKALEE — Ernie Preshard, left, drags two alligators off his boat after getting back to shore as he and friend Bruce Essen finished their first hunting trip of the season on Lake Trafford on Sept. 2, 2010.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

EAST NAPLES — Dave Regel waits patiently for an alligator to resurface late in the day at Port of the Islands Resort & Marina. Regel says the patience is necessary because an alligator can hold its breath underwater anywhere between seven to eight hours. Regel said if he is going to catch the reptile, he will have to continue watching the ripples in the water for the alligator’s head to emerge.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

MIAMI — Belts and an alligator purse hang in the storefront of Roger Ximenez’s shop in Miami. Ximenez had manufactured more alligator purses but he said it proved to be more lucrative to produce 50 belts a day than one purse.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

SEBRING — An assortment of finished hides at Sebring Custom Tanning on Sept. 8, 2010. The plant is able to produce a variety of colors for almost any customer request.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

PALMDALE — Alligator trainer Bridgette Adams, left, feeds one of the dozens of alligators during the feeding show at Gatorama, an alligator farm and tourist destination on Sept. 11, 2010. Bridgette, who is engaged to the owner’s son, used to train other sea animals before coming to Gatorama. “It took me a while to warm up to the idea,” Adams said.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

GOLDEN GATE — George Hodge, who processes the alligators he and Dave Regel, stores the alligator heads in a walk-in freezer behind Regel’s house. The heads are usually sold as trophies, but a lack in purchases has their freezer stockpiled with large alligator heads.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

SEBRING — Ossie Smith carries crusts, tanned alligator hides that are bleached, from drying hooks to a pile to be dyed at Sebring Custom Tanning on Sept. 8, 2010. At any one time, the tannery has about 3,000 animal hides.

NAPLES — Back at his home in Golden Gate Estates, Dave Regel, right, Collier County’s sole alligator trapper, loads his antique rifle to kill the first of three alligators he caught that day. Regel said there are only a few ways to legally kill an alligator in Florida. With a shot, from a gun or bang stick, or by using a knife behind the head to sever the spinal cord.

Greg Kahn Naples Daily News

EAST NAPLES — George Hodge is reflected getting rope untangled in the eye of an alligator he just captured and pulled over the sea wall at Port of the Islands Resort & Marina. Hodge, along with Collier County trapper Dave Regel were at the development to trap three alligators that were swimming up to children fishing off the sea wall.